Research reveals pervasive optimism in people's comparative risk judgements such that people believe they are less likely than others to experience negative events. Two studies explored the extent to which people are consistent in their comparative risk judgements across time and events. Both studies found strong evidence for consistency across time and some evidence for consistency across events. The consistency across time and events was moderated by experience. Specifically, when viewed together, the studies suggest that experience produces an initial decrease in the consistency of comparative judgements (Study 2), followed by greater consistency in subsequent judgements (Study 1). The discussion focuses on reconciling evidence demonstrating consistency with evidence demonstrating variability.
Background: Owing to high diarrhoea and protein malnutrition frequencies in pellagra, we hypothesised that pellagra patients would have higher electrolyte disturbances than non-pellagra alcoholics. Objective: To compare serum electrolytes of hospitalised alcoholics with or without pellagra. Design: Retrospective and descriptive case-control study. Setting: Internal Medicine wards at a University Hospital, Medical School of Uberaba, Brazil. Subjects: Medical records were reviewed to obtain relevant clinical details, main diagnosis and laboratory data, including serum electrolytes on hospital admission of pellagra patients (n 33) and a randomly chosen control group of alcoholics (n 37), matched in age, gender and socio-economic status. Anaemia was ascertained by haemoglobin`12.5 gadl (men) and 1.5 gadl (women), and hypoalbuminemia by serum albumin`3.3 gadl. Results: Pellagra and controls showed similar age (39.4 AE 13.1 vs 45.0 AE 11.4 years) and a male predominance of gender (69.7 vs 78.4%), and similar associated diagnoses, including high blood pressure (21.2 vs 16.2%), peripheral neuropathy (12.1 vs 13.5%), and pneumonia (9.1 vs 13.5%). Despite displaying similar serum sodium (136.6 AE 6.1 vs 137.8 AE 5.7 mEqaI), magnesium (1.72 AE 0.74 vs 1.62 AE 0.34 mgadl), phosphorus (3.79 AE 0.87 vs 3.87 AE 0.78 mEqa1) than controls,in addition to higher hypoalbuminemia (76.2 vs 33%) and anaemia (60.6 vs 35.1%) frequencies. Conclusions: Higher anaemia and hypoalbuminemia frequencies associated with lower serum potassium levels suggest increased protein malnutrition prevalence among pellagrins.
Mutations in the GHRH receptor (GHRHR) gene (GHRHR) are emerging as a common cause of familial isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) type IB. The use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues has been advocated as a tool to delay puberty in patients with isolated GH deficiency (IGHD), allowing longer time for the beneficial effect of exogenous human GH (hGH) treatment on growth. We describe two male siblings with IGHD due to a homozygous missense GHRHR mutation who, because they were started on hGH therapy at different ages, presented with different height SDS at the onset of puberty and therefore had different predicted target heights. The shorter brother was treated with GnRH analogue plus hGH for 3 years, whereas the other brother received only hGH. Despite different predicted heights at the onset of puberty, they attained similar final heights. We conclude that in patients with IGHD, GnRH analogue treatment should be considered to delay puberty and obtain a maximal growth response if hGH treatment is started in late childhood and the predicted height at puberty onset is below the genetic target.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.